Downsend Pre-Prep Epsom Independent Inspectorate Report

Scottish Literacy Report

Scottish Numeracy Report

Independent preparatory schools do not have to follow the National Curriculum or submit test results to the Department for Education so there is no individual school performance data or star rating.

Visit the school's website to learn more about their unique curriculum, policies on testing and common leaver
destinations (a good indicator of pupil progress). See our About page for information on Choosing A Prep School.

Downsend School Pre-Prep Epsom is one of three co-educational pre-preparatory schools for children aged from two to six years attached to Downsend Preparatory School. The school is open from 8.55 am to 3.30 pm and has before-school provision from 7.45 am and after- school provision up to 6.00 pm. It consists of First Steps nursery, Rising Reception, Reception and Year 1 classes. The school is housed in two former residential properties and has extensive and attractive grounds. It aims to enable the pupils ‘to develop into independent, confident and well-mannered children who are proud of their achievements’.

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We hold Open Mornings throughout the year each term, at both our Prep School in Leatherhead and our three Pre-Prep schools (Leatherhead, Epsom and Ashstead). To help working parents, we hold some events on a Saturday and try to make all Personal Tours at a convenient time to suit you.

What you can expect
At these Open events you will discover all the opportunities a Downsend education can offer. You’ll meet the Head get to tour the school, meet our children and chat to staff over refreshments. At our Prep school, the Upper School children will take you on a tour, tailored to you, lasting around 40 minutes.

Personal Tours
If you choose a week day Open Morning or Personal Tour, you will see our classrooms alive with action in the course of a normal teaching day. If you’d like to arrange a Personal Tour, our Registrar, Sarah Concanon can arrange this for you. Please contact Sarah either by email ([email protected]) or telephone on 01372 372311 to book a place.

If you haven't booked, you are still very welcome to come along on the morning.

Alternatively, we are always happy to see you for a personal visit by individual appointment.

WHY DOWNSEND?

• Over 90% of our children are working above National Average by the end of Year One;

• All Year 3 pupils receive specialist tuition in the flute, trumpet and violin, as part of the Downsend Music Programme;

• All pupils, including our Pre-Prep children, have access to expert coaching in a wide range of sports through the Downsend Academies;

• 68% of our pupils exceed their expected progress by the end of Year 6;

• On average, over 95% of our pupils pass the entrance test to their first choice senior school;

• 45% of our Year 8 pupils gained a scholarship to their senior school last year. 40% of these were academic.

Typically over 40 academic, sporting or creative scholarships are awarded each year to some of the top senior schools, including City of London Freemen's, Epsom College, Reigate Grammar and St John's. Some pupils achieve scholarships to schools further away, such as Tonbridge, Winchester College and Westminster.

THE DOWNSEND JOURNEY

EXCITING NEW DOWNSEND SENIOR SCHOOL & CREATIVE ARTS CENTRE FROM 2020

We are thrilled to announce the launch of our new Senior School which will educate girls and boys up to Year 11 from September 2020, seeing them through the completion of a new 3 year GCSE Programme. The development builds on Downsend’s track record as an established preparatory school with strong academics alongside character development and wellbeing, particularly in the areas of sport and the performing arts.

Ian Thorpe, Headmaster, says: “We already have fantastic sports, science, DT and ICT facilities that would be the envy of many senior schools. Our reputation for preparing children for their senior school education is already established. The difference is our ability to better balance the pastoral and academic needs of pupils so that they enjoy their schooling with us whilst achieving their academic and personal successes.”

“Over recent years, so many of our parents have expressed genuine sadness that their children could not continue at Downsend beyond Year 8. We are delighted to remedy this, and immensely proud to be bringing about this next phase of Downsend School’s history.”

Meet the Head: Sarah Bradley

Sarah has a BA from Exeter University and a PGCE from the University of London. She has been Head since September 2014

Who/what inspired you to become a teacher?

At the age of 11, I can clearly remember standing in my school entrance hall and thinking, “I want to be a teacher, I love my school and I want to be part of this”. It was a tremendously positive place, with exciting educational and sporting opportunities. I went on to Exeter University for my degree and then to University in London for a PGCE qualification. Since then, I have taught in London and Surrey, I have run my own outdoor activity holiday company and been a Head Teacher in 3 pre-preps. The school I went to and the teachers there gave me a passion for learning and a love for the school environment. I hope I can do the same for the children in my school.

What achievement are you most proud of as Head?

I am of course enormously proud of our “outstanding” rating in our 2014 School inspection. I am proud of our excellent academic achievements – In Literacy, in the 2015 assessments, 80% of our Reception children scored in the top 10% of the national sample and in maths, 65% scored in the top 10% of the national sample.

However, what really makes me proud is the kindness our children show each other on a daily basis. This display of empathetic behaviour comes from their role models, our staff. At our Pre- Prep, kindness towards each other is a life skill and a central theme that runs through our school day.

What does a successful school look like to you?

A school is a community, a place made up of all the people who belong there: the children, the staff and the parents. A successful school is a place where all members of that community strive to keep those at the centre, our children, safe and happy.

Alongside this, a successful school is a place where children feel excited to learn. That is why we have a Woodland and Nature School at the heart of our curriculum. It offers our children wonderful opportunities to learn about nature and wildlife at first hand. This stimulating and enriched curriculum helps develop the children’s language and vocabulary, sparking their imagination, whilst teaching them to think for themselves. The academic rewards that our children are reaping and the progress they are making through these practical experiences out of door are easy to see.

What is the most important quality you want every child to have when they leave your school? And why?

Self-esteem and confidence are important qualities for our children to have as they begin their educational journey. When they come to us at 2 years old, we begin by fostering a sense of security, a feeling of belonging and of being valued. From this starting point, we can develop a level of independence, an enquiring mind and a love for learning. Our pupils learn to make sensible choices and good friendships. They can try new things without worrying about failure and not be frightened to put forward their own ideas. Our children are the future.

Please give 5 words to describe the ethos of your school.

Family, Nurturing, Inspiring, Stimulating, Independent Thinkers.

Catchment information

This map shows where pupils currently attending the school live

This school is independently managed and its admission criteria may be selective. There is no set catchment area as pupils are admitted from a wide variety of postcodes and, in the case of boarding schools, from outside the UK. Contact the school directly or visit their website for more information on Admissions Policy and Procedures.

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2015 GCSE RESULTS

Important information for parents

Due to number of reforms to GSCE reporting introduced by the government in 2014, such as the exclusion of iGCSE examination results, the official school performance data may not accurately report a school’s full results. For more information, please see About and refer to the section, ‘Why does a school show 0% on its GSCE data dial? In many affected cases, the Average Point Score will also display LOW SCORE as points for iGCSEs and resits are not included.

Schools can upload their full GCSE results by registering for a School Noticeboard. All school results data will be verified.

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accepted. For questions about the competition please email [email protected]